Nathan Aspinall recorded his first nightly win in this year’s Premier League by taking the crown in night ten in Manchester.
The Englishman defeated Rob Cross and Michael van Gerwen, before defeating Luke Humphries 6-4, on a night which also saw a nine-darter hit by Gerwyn Price.
Speaking to Sky Sports after his triumph, Aspinall said: “I’ve got a few issues and sometimes it doesn’t look pretty on TV, or whatever, but I found a way to cope with it. It affects me, but I’m winning and I’m winning tournaments and it’s one of them, either quit and give up and go home or you own it and you make it part of the game, and that’s what I’ve decided to do.” He also made a shocking revelation that he considered quitting darts five weeks ago, due to his ongoing troubles with dartitis. Speaking about this, he said: “Five weeks ago. Well, I was really struggling. I said to Kirstie, I can’t be doing this anymore and then the last three weeks I’ve proved why I’m still playing because I’m one of the best players in the world.”
Aspinall began his run to glory with an all-English clash against Rob Cross. The match began with two holds of throw, but The Asp would take first blood, breaking in leg three, and again in leg five, with a spectacular 130 out. There was a hold in the middle of those two breaks, which consolidated them and give him a healthy 4-1 lead.
Voltage tried to bite back, by winning a break back with a ton-plus of his own, this time a 127. That effort was to be in vain however, as Aspinall took the next two legs to record a comfortable 6-2 victory, securing him safe passage to the semi-final.
In the other quarter-finals, Michael van Gerwen defeated Chris Dobey 6-4, and Luke Humphries decimated last week’s nightly winner Stephen Bunting 6-1, in the process recording a huge 118.43 average, the third highest in Premier League history.
But the biggest moment of the night came in the third quarter final, where Gerwyn Price managed to record a nine-darter against the world champion Luke Littler. Despite that incredible feet, it was the teenager who got the result, winning 6-3 to progress to yet another semi-final.
Aspinall was to face Dutchman Michael van Gerwen in the semi-final. It was to be a dream start, as he raced into a 3-0 lead, which included two breaks of throw, and a hold which was achieved with a ton-plus finish of 116. MVG broke in the fourth leg to get a leg on the board.
This ended up being the second break in a run of five straight breaks beginning with leg three, which when over saw The Asp leading 5-2 and on the brink of victory. He got the job done in the next leg, which secured yet another 6-2 victory, and in turn a place in a third nightly final of the season.
In the other semi-final, it was another battle of the Lukes, as Humphries faced Littler. It was to be the world number one who prevailed, a 6-4 victory moving him into yet another nightly final, in search of his third nightly win.
The final was not to start smoothly at all for Aspinall. He found himself 3-0 down, with Humphries grabbing a break of throw in leg two which looked to have him in firm control. The Asp got on the board in leg four, and while at the time it looked like damage control, it was to be the start of a miraculous resurgence. He would win a further four legs on the bounce, which included two breaks, and it put him 5-3 up and on the brink. Humphries would end the streak by winning leg nine, but it only delayed the inevitable, as Aspinall rounded it up with a hold in the next leg, to secure a 6-4 win, and his first nightly crown in the Premier League this season.
Littler remains top, with his semi-final run tonight moving the world champion onto 28 points. The final for Humphries keeps him in second, with 23 points, and he closes the gap to the top to five points.
The race for the play-offs is really heating up now, as three players have 15 points. Price claims third thanks to winning two nights, and Aspinall’s win tonight allows him to climb into the top four at the expense of Michael van Gerwen. The darts returns to Europe next week, as the Dutch will be treated to the action in Rotterdam.